Bradley Simpson plays sold-out show at the Glasgow Garage
The Brummie artist blazes through his first solo headline tour.
Photo: Bradley Simpson
After wrapping up the EU leg of his first solo headline tour, Bradley Simpson returns to the UK for yet another series of sold-out shows. The charismatic Brummie artist welcomed fans to the Glasgow Garage on Tuesday for a sneak peek of tunes from his recently announced debut album, The Panic Years.
“I have been to the Garage once before and it was when I had my first legal pint, at that bar,” said Bradley, pointing over our heads to the back of the concert hall. Quite the full-circle moment.
He was not the only one reminiscing. On my way to this gig, I walked along Sauchiehall Street, passing Glasgow’s now half-demolished O2 ABC — the venue where I first saw Bradley headlining as frontman for The Vamps on their mini tour in 2013, days after his 18th birthday. It was a free show and I remember queuing with hundreds of other teenage girls, excited to hear the latest boy-band on the block.
Over ten years later, and just two minutes further down the road, I was met with similar scenes of fans lining the streets in anticipation of Bradley’s first Scottish show as a solo artist. Slipping from the misty November night and into the iconic Garage venue, as if through a time-portal, I prepared for what was sure to be an evening of bitter-sweet nostalgia.
Opening the concert was Annika Bennett, a Californian singer-songwriter playing Glasgow for her second time after supporting Sabrina Carpenter in June last year. Her acoustic guitar and soft voice soared over the crowd’s excited chatter. We were treated to an Instagram-requested Troye Sivan cover, as well as a song she had written that very week on the theme of “female rage.” Annika prefaced this composition by referring to the result of the recent US presidential election, reflecting on the fear and anger felt by many girls throughout America and the world. Supportive applause rippled through the audience of young women.
Before long it was time for the main act, who arrived looking rather rock n’ roll in a leather jacket, as chants of “no Scotland no party” rose from the crowd. Bradley sent us straight into a groove with Getting Clear, followed by lighthearted indie-pop tune Daisies, which saw front-row fans toss petals into the air.
Read also: Bradley Simpson shares angsty solo single ‘Always Like This’
The evening’s setlist featured tracks from Bradley’s upcoming debut album, The Panic Years, which will be released 28 February 2025. He hinted that this project has been in the works for about a year. Bradley was “blown away” by the fact that his loyal fans already knew the lyrics to these unreleased songs and continued to express gratitude throughout the show. Despite his album title suggesting a transformative identity crisis, Bradley seemed very at home on the solo stage. He grabbed the opportunity to banter with the crowd which was much more intimate in comparison to the arenas he is used to filling with his bandmates.
As the night unfolded we tasted more of this new solo repertoire, blending indie-rock influences, such as the drum-driven Always Like This, with pop-like melodies, as heard in his latest single, Holy Grail. This honest slow burner was released just last week, and triggered a wave of swaying phone flashes through the audience. We were also offered a cover of Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO! which got everyone dancing in sync, contrasting with a stripped-back rendition of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.
The set was short and sweet, lasting just under an hour and finishing with feel-good tune, Picasso. Alongside drummer Elena Costa and guitarist James Attwood, Bradley took his final bow and frisbee-d guitar picks to giddy fans. He promised he would be back on tour in May next year, when we can be sure to expect more relatable indie-rock bangers from The Panic Years.